The first two contestants stepped onto the arena and began the procedure of dripping blood onto their substitute puppets.
Taking advantage of the moment, Rina—the host and referee—offered a quick introduction of the contestants.
"The first match is about to begin, everyone! On your right is Mage Ryn, 23 years old. Coming from a blacksmith family and being a Fire Mage, he's sure to bring a blazing battle today."
The young man introduced had a sharp face and short reddish-brown hair. His bare arms revealed well-defined muscles.
"On your left is Lira, 22 years old. She is known for her skill in Wind magic, while also frequently using other types of magic for support. She has worked as a magical beasts hunter since the age of 15, with many years of real combat experience. I'm sure she'll be a troublesome opponent for anyone."
The female hunter had a rather slender figure.
Clad in light leather armor, she carried small pouches across her chest, belt, and thighs, each filled with tools.
"And without further delay, the first match officially BEGINS!"
The moment the referee's signal rang out, magical threads made from spiritual energy shot out from all ten fingers of both contestants, connecting to the puppets they had created.
The lifeless puppets beside them instantly came to life and assumed combat stances.
Ryn's puppet took the form of a towering warrior clad in armor. Standing around two meters tall, it wielded a fauchard—a polearm with a curved blade—its shaft nearly as long as its height. Its imposing build, long weapon, and armor glowing with fiery red hues created an overwhelming sense of pressure.
On the other side, Lira's puppet looked rather unusual. Floating in front of her, it had no legs or head—only a spherical body with two muscular iron arms. It was clear she used Wind magic to keep it airborne instead of relying on physical legs.
The floating spherical body shielded most of Lira's figure behind it, acting as a defensive barrier.
After a brief moment of eye contact, both contestants moved at once.
Lira and her puppet charged forward, while Ryn remained in place, moving only his hands to control his puppet rushing ahead.
A loud clash erupted in the center of the arena.
The warrior puppet swung its fauchard in a powerful downward strike aimed at Lira and her puppet. Flames ignited along the blade, indicating the use of Fire magic to enhance its damage.
Meeting that strike was a massive punch from the spherical puppet. The speed of the punch was unbelievable for such a heavy-looking arm. The wind-infused blow completely blocked the flaming strike, producing a thunderous impact.
Ryn followed up with a barrage of attacks. His puppet moved with such agility that it felt like a real warrior fighting, rather than a lifeless construct controlled from behind.
In response, Lira calmly directed her puppet to unleash rapid, precise punches. The twin fists became drills of wind, not only blocking the fauchard's strikes but also targeting the joints of the warrior puppet.
Sensing the disadvantage, Ryn immediately poured more spiritual energy into his puppet. The threads of spiritual energy extending from his fingers grew brighter.
At once, the warrior puppet released a wave of fire from its entire body, surging toward Lira.
Facing the incoming flames, Lira withdrew her attack. Her puppet spread its arms wide, its spherical body spinning rapidly to form a wind barrier that blew the fire away.
Though she blocked the sudden attack, Lira was not completely unharmed. Her substitute puppet on the pedestal bore a few small burn marks.
They were minor, but they marked the first effective damage of the match. If things continued this way, the situation would turn unfavorable for her.
Understanding this, Lira acted without hesitation.
'Even though I don't want to use this in the very first match.' - She muttered gloomily to herself.
Taking out two blue cylindrical objects from her belt pouch, she inserted them into slots on the back of her puppet's shoulders.
"Compared to Ryn, her puppet control skills are far inferior," - One contestant in the waiting room commented.
"Yeah, she's basically using that puppet like a hammer." - Another added.
Though their words carried a hint of disdain, their analysis was accurate.
Lira lacked refined control techniques, so she had optimized her puppet to the extreme. All of its functions were concentrated into its two arms.
By using magic, she eliminated the complexity of controlling movement, though at the cost of spiritual energy to keep it airborne. She guided its direction with her own hands, effectively reducing the spiritual energy required for maneuvering while hovering.
Unlike Ryn's puppet, which demanded complex full‑body control, focusing solely on the arms allowed someone less skilled like her to perform effectively.
Grabbing the puppet and "smashing" it into the enemy—calling it a hammer was not far from the truth.
Back in the arena, after inserting the cylinders, Lira charged straight toward the armored warrior.
Another wave of fire surged toward her. This time, she did not retreat or defend but continued advancing. Her puppet's arms unleashed a relentless barrage of punches.
Each strike now carried not only swirling wind, but also frost. The punches drilled through the flames and slammed directly into the warrior puppet behind them.
Compared to earlier, she closed the distance significantly. However, this meant she could no longer fully block the residual heat from the enemy's attacks.
Even without taking direct hits, the aftermath of their intense clash continued to inflict small burns on her.
The damage was minor, but the pain was sharp and persistent.
At that moment, Lira realized something—
That annoying host hadn't "forgotten" to mention that the substitute puppet didn't transfer pain. It simply wouldn't help sell the product.
After silently cursing Rina and her entire family in her mind, Lira refocused on the fight.
Though closing in caused her to take damage, it also turned the fauchard's long reach into a disadvantage, making it cumbersome and less flexible. As a result, more of her puppet's punches began landing.
On the other side, Ryn was doing everything he could to block the incoming blows. His hands and fingers moved like a dance in the air, showcasing his refined control.
Yet his expression was anything but calm. It was filled with fatigue and growing frustration.
'This is bad.' He thought.
He clearly understood the situation, but he had no way to break out of it.
He still had other magics he could use, but his opponent wouldn't give him the time. Even a brief moment of hesitation could result in his puppet being shattered under the relentless assault.
Worse still was the difference in stamina. The simple control required for Lira's puppet meant that he would be the one exhausted first.
At this point, the battle had turned into a contest of endurance—
whether Lira's health would run out first, or whether Ryn and his puppet would collapse before that.